Government
Each noble will be given latitude to develop their county as they wish, so long as they meet certain requirements for funding and treatment of citizens. A duchy round table will be held periodically, known as the Assembly of Nobles, allowing nobles to bring forward complaints or proposals. Following a vote on consideration, proposals will be reviewed and read aloud to the entire contingent.
The duke will have final executive power on policies and a veto power, which can be overturned with a two-thirds majority of the duchy’s player nobility. Votes will be held on intra-duchy issues not related to taxation. Each count will receive a weighted vote, proportionate to percentage of player population in the most recent census. Prior to the first census, all counts will receive equal votes.
Cabinet positions will be filled as needed. Members of the cabinet will attend the Assembly of Nobles and advise the nobility on the status of the duchy in their respective fields. An untitled, unlanded representative of the citizens will be among them. Each county will publicly announce the voting and citizens will vote in a preferential voting system, within a period of no less than 14 days and no more than 45 days. Upon the closing of the polls, votes will be tallied and the winner in each county will be their vote for “Voice of the People.”
Economy
Our goal is to structure Vitalis in such a way that it is self-sustaining and harnesses innovative methods to stay ahead in trade, business, and technology. Our counties are very diverse in focus and we want to encourage economic interaction while ensuring that none of them rely on outside sources to subsist. Business and value creation will be incentivized in many different ways.
During my campaign, I expressed my intent to eliminate taxation entirely. That still remains my objective. Passive sources of revenue will be pursued by the duchy. Over time, we will replace taxation with investments. Every time someone makes a profit-sharing deal with the duchy, we will take steps towards eliminating their taxes. Eventually, if the duchy reaches a certain point in funding, via investments, taxes at large will be eliminated. The goal is to maintain full funding of the duchy, while ensuring that the citizens are economically unencumbered.
We will encourage trade across all of our borders. I do not intend to use tariffs as a source of revenue. There will be tolls on major highways and the duchy may take a convenience fee on transactions conducted through the central trade hub.
Military
As Duke, I will be working with barons to maximize efficient use of troops and fast response times. The amount of territory that our barons have to cover is quite large and efficient coverage will be important. Each baron should be provided with a template to use and offered support from the neighboring baronies. Communication channels will be utilized that allow for communication of game events to offline barons. Military strength is essential to securing the wealth of the citizens of Vitalis.
Minimum troop, horse, and equipment requirements will be maintained by the barons. Baronies will be rewarded for excellence and incentivized to reach set targets for efficiency. The duchy will be designed to allow a honeycombed, guerilla-style defense by the barons. Invaders or hostile forces should struggle to enter and leave each region. Using nations like Switzerland as a model, we will use whatever resources we have, whether natural or artificial, to provide for the defense of the duchy.
